UCR sets up with Chile

University of California, Riverside (UCR) has established a commercialisation and tech transfer partnership with Know Hub Chile, a Chilean government-funded association of eight universities and three research centres.

UCR and Know Hub Chile will work to boost economic and social development by collaborating on matters such as entrepreneurial training, portfolio technology evaluation and academic research. The partnership will also have access to startup residencies at UCR.

Know Hub Chile is one of three tech transfer hubs launched by Chilean economic development agency Corfo to drive better research in the country.

The three initiatives, which also include Andes Pacific Technology Access and HubTec, will together receive $19m in funding for the benefit of 26 universities, 12 science laboratories and 11 affiliates, according to University Herald.

Know Hub Chile hopes the UCR partnership will ultimately be able to improve the national economy’s competitiveness, diversification and productivity.

UCR is also looking at collaborations with other countries keen to build up their entrepreneurial ecosystems, according to Rosibel Ochoa, assistant vice-chancellor for technology partnerships in the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development.

Fernando Venegas, legal and intellectual property manager at Know Hub Chile, said: “We strongly believe our partnership with UCR will elevate a culture of entrepreneurship in the national universities and research centres that are part of Know Hub Chile.

“The entrepreneurship program provides an integrated approach to the commercialisation of technologies in early stages.”